Device and method for opening trunk of vehicle, and recording medium for recording program for executing method

Abstract

A vehicle trunk opening device including an approach checking unit which checks whether a user approaches a trunk of a vehicle and outputs the checked result as an access signal; a movement information acquisition unit for acquiring movement information of the user by responding to an acquisition control signal generated when the vehicle is stationary; a movement analysis unit which analyzes whether the user's movement corresponds to a desired target movement of opening a trunk through the acquired movement information, and which outputs the analyzed result; a trunk opening unit for opening the trunk by responding to an opening control signal; and a main control unit which generates the acquisition control signal by responding to the access signal, and which generates the opening control signal by responding to the analyzed result.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for opening a trunk of a vehicle, comprising:
 a camera; and 
 a controller configured to:
 determine whether a user has approached the trunk of the vehicle through wireless communication with a wireless communication unit held by the user and output a result of the determination as an approach signal, including:
 authenticate the user and recognize a location of the user through wireless communication with the wireless communication unit held by the user, 
 calculate a separation distance between the trunk and the user based on the recognized location, and 
 compare the calculated distance with a critical distance and output a result of the comparison as the approach signal, 
 
 acquire information about motion of the user when the vehicle is stationary by the camera, wherein the camera is configured to photograph a state in front of the trunk that does not contain a user's motion in response to a first level acquisition control signal and output the photographed image as a first image, and photograph a state in front of the trunk that contains the user's motion in response to a second level acquisition control signal and output the photographed image as a second image, and to output a motion image, which is a difference between the second image and the first image, as the user's motion information, 
 analyze the acquired motion information to determine whether the user's motion is intentional motion performed with an intent of opening the trunk and output a result of the analysis, 
 generate an opening control signal in response to the result of the analysis to open the trunk, 
 calculate a change rate of the user's motion based on the motion image, the calculated change rate comprising a change rate of a pixel luminance level between adjacent frames, among a plurality of frames in the motion image, 
 compare the calculated change rate with a critical change rate and outputting a result of comparison as the result of analysis, 
 
 wherein the controller generates the first level acquisition control signal upon determining that the user, having approached the trunk, is not yet located in front of the trunk based on the approach signal, and generates the second level acquisition control signal upon determining that the user, having approached the trunk, is located in front of the trunk based on the approach signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises:
 a light emitting unit configured to emit light in response to a light emission control signal, 
 an illumination sensor configured to sense illumination intensity around the trunk, and 
 a lighting controller configured to control the light emission control signal in response to the sensed illumination intensity. 
 
     
     
       3. The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 transmit a signal toward the front of the trunk, 
 receive a signal reflected by a body of the user, and 
 process the transmitted signal and the received signal to acquire the user's motion information. 
 
     
     
       4. The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine whether the vehicle is stationary, and 
 generate the first and second level acquisition control signals and the opening control signal in response to a result of determination. 
 
     
     
       5. The device according to  claim 4 , further comprising a power supply unit configured to supply power in response to a first power control signal,
 wherein the controller generates the first power control signal in response to the approach signal. 
 
     
     
       6. A method of opening a trunk of a vehicle, the method comprising:
 (a) determining whether a user has approached the trunk of the vehicle through wireless communication with a wireless communication unit held by the user, including:
 authenticating the user and recognizing a location of the user through wireless communication with the wireless communication unit held by the user; 
 calculating a separation distance between the trunk and the user based on the recognized location; and 
 determining whether the separation distance is equal to or less than a critical distance; 
 
 (b) acquiring information about motion of the user when the vehicle is stationary, and upon determining that the user has approached the trunk; 
 (c) analyzing the motion information to determine whether the user's motion is a predetermined intentional motion performed with an intent of opening the trunk; and 
 (d) opening the trunk upon determining that the user's motion is the predetermined intentional motion, 
 wherein step (a) comprises:
 photographing a state in front of the trunk that does not contain the user's motion and acquiring the photographed image as a first image when the user, having approached the trunk, is not yet located in front of the trunk; 
 photographing a state in front of the trunk that contains the user's motion and acquiring the photographed image as a second image when the user, having approached the trunk, is located in front of the trunk; and 
 acquiring a difference between the first image and the second image as a motion image, 
 
 wherein step (c) comprises:
 (c1) calculating a change rate of the user's motion based on the motion image, and 
 (c2) determining whether the calculated change rate is equal to or greater than a critical change rate, 
 
 wherein the change rate calculated at step (c1) comprises a change rate of a pixel luminance level between adjacent frames, among a plurality of frames in the motion image, 
 wherein step (b) is performed upon determining that the separation distance is equal to or less than the critical distance, 
 wherein step (c) comprises determining whether the user's motion is the predetermined intentional motion using the motion image. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein step (b) further comprises:
 sensing illumination intensity around the trunk; and 
 turning on or off a light emitting unit that emits light toward a front of the trunk based on the sensed illumination intensity. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein step (b) comprises:
 transmitting a signal toward a front of the trunk; 
 receiving a signal reflected by a body of the user; and 
 processing the transmitted signal and the received signal to acquire the user's motion information. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein step (c) comprises:
 measuring a period during which the user, having approached at least one certain point of the trunk, stays in place based on the acquired motion information; and 
 determining whether the measured period exceeds a critical period, 
 wherein step (d) comprises opening the trunk upon determining that the measured period does not exceed the critical period. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein step (d) comprises opening the trunk upon determining that the calculated change rate is equal to or greater than the critical change rate. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein step (c1) comprises:
 (c11) calculating a change rate of the luminance level of a plurality of pixels in a center area of each of the frames as a first position luminance change rate; and 
 (c12) calculating a change rate of the luminance level of a plurality of pixels in a peripheral area of each of the frames as a second position luminance change rate. 
 
     
     
       12. A non-statutory computer readable medium comprising a program for executing a vehicle trunk opening method performed by a vehicle trunk opening device comprising a camera and a controller, wherein the program is configured to:
 execute the controller to determine whether the user has approached the trunk of the vehicle through wireless communication with a wireless communication unit held by the user, including:
 authenticate the user and recognize a location of the user through wireless communication with the wireless communication unit held by the user, 
 calculate a separation distance between the trunk and the user based on the recognized location, and 
 compare the calculated distance with a critical distance and output a result of the comparison as the approach signal, 
 
 execute the camera to acquire information about motion of the user upon determining that the user has approached the trunk and when the vehicle is stationary, wherein the camera is executed to photograph a state in front of the trunk that does not contain a user's motion in response to a first level acquisition control signal and output the photographed image as a first image, and photograph a state in front of the trunk that contains the user's motion in response to a second level acquisition control signal and output the photographed image as a second image, and to output a motion image, which is a difference between the second image and the first image, as the user's motion information, 
 calculate a change rate of the user's motion based on the motion image, the calculated change rate comprising a change rate of a pixel luminance level between adjacent frames, among a plurality of frames in the motion image, 
 compare the calculated change rate with a critical change rate and outputting a result of comparison as the result of analysis, 
 execute the controller to analyze the acquired motion information to determine whether the user's motion is a predetermined intentional motion performed with an intent of opening the trunk, and 
 execute the controller to open the trunk through the trunk opening unit upon determining that the user's motion is the predetermined intentional motion, 
 wherein the controller generates the first level acquisition control signal upon determining that the user, having approached the trunk, is not yet located in front of the trunk based on the approach signal, and generates the second level acquisition control signal upon determining that the user, having approached the trunk, is located in front of the trunk based on the approach signal.